I saw it all this weekend.

Kids moving from drill to drill… carrying the pressure to impress before they’re even teenagers.

Parents in the lobby playing the numbers game:

“If this kid makes it…”

“If that kid gets cut…”

“What other centres are you trying out for?”

And honestly?

I caught myself doing it too.

Coaches walking around with clipboards like NHL scouts…

Trying to decide who the best 11-year-old is today instead of asking:

Who could this player become over the next five years while they are in our program?

Then the tryout ends.

Maybe a coach gives some feedback.

Maybe no one says a word.

You just grab your bag and leave wondering.

And I heard the conversations afterward too.

Nine-year-olds saying:

“I guess I’m not good enough.”

Twelve-year-olds saying:

“If I don’t make this team, I’m quitting hockey.”

Somewhere along the way, we stopped treating youth sports like development.

And started treating it like identity.

We’ve created environments where:

• A child’s confidence can rise or fall based on a weekend

• Families tie self-worth to team placement

• Resources and attention go to the top 5%

• While the other 95% are left trying to figure out where they belong

All for what?

Because if youth sports only works for the kids who make the top team…

Then the system isn’t working nearly well enough.

My mission is simple:

To give organizations, coaches, and families the tools to create better youth sport environments for every kid involved — not just the selected few.

So I’m curious:

Did your child/family have a positive tryout experience this weekend?

What did your organization do well — or what could have been handled better?